From CNN, April 3, 2002:

"Tuesday, an estimated 1 million demonstrators took to the streets across Egypt to express their anger with the United States and Israel. That kind of sentiment expressed throughout the Arab world 'clouds everything else,' explained one senior diplomat....Arab officials warned [assistant secretary for Near East affairs William] Burns that their leaders are under intense pressure from their citizens."

From CNN, October 9, 2001:

"As the United States continued to hit Afghan targets Tuesday, administration officials kept a keen eye on the Arab world, and on the wider Muslim sphere, as they assessed the strength of anti-American protests worldwide....[An administration] official said, 'One of the unspoken rules for some in the coalition is to keep that to a minimum, and I think you are seeing that.'"

I understand that people tend to have short memories when it comes to their past misjudgments. But six months?